Esmeralda The...Object?

So far, we have covered the sassy Southern bell Scarlett O’Hara, the Crawley girls from Downton Abbey, the transformation of Eliza Doolittle, and the fun loving Lucy Ricardo. We have seen how all of these women have had to act in certain ways to hold to the societal norms that are set for women. I mentioned in my “about me” section that I am a Disney fanatic. I used the word fanatic because I couldn’t think of a stronger word. If you ask where would be my number one pick for a vacation, my immediate answer would be Disney World. I have multiple playlists on my Spotify that are only songs from Disney movies, yes you can go ahead and judge, and I use Disney quotes on a daily basis. So, this being said, I naturally had to choose a Disney movie or two to analyze.

When people hear, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, they think of Quasimodo, the man who everyone thinks is a monster. However, many people seem to overlook Esmeralda, the gypsy girl that is determined to make things right no matter how much danger it puts herself in. But is Disney objectifying her in a more sexual way? In an article written by Celeste Lacroix, she looks at the heroines from Disney films and Esmeralda is one of them.

“The costuming in The Hunchback of Notre Dame offers what

may be the epitome of the exotic/sexual. Esmeralda, the gypsy

dancer, is also attired in dresses that reflect a stereotype of

her ethnic background. These costumes, like those of her two predecessors, bare her shoulders. Hers, however; also offers

a plunging bust line that emphasizes the cleavage. Additionally, her

dance costume is drawn with a skin-tight look that reveals the

"cut" of her abdomen and her tiny waist” (Lacroix, 2004).

Off the shoulder dress, plunging neckline, small waist, and dancing in a very outlandish way are all signs that Esmeralda is not the typical quiet and calm girl that you would expect in a Disney movie. “Esmeralda, the darkest in skin tone of all the characters, reflects the trend toward increasing emphasis on physical maturity and sexuality” (Lacroix, 2004).

You might be thinking, “so what! Disney made a character a little more promiscuous. What’s the big deal?” Yes, they did make this character a little more sexualized than others, but does that cause trouble for her? The way she dances, for instance. There is a crowd around her watching her dress is flying up above her knee and she is moving her body in ways that show her curves. A good majority of the crowd is men. Why men? Simple, she is a woman who is very attractive and is dancing in a way that would enhance her femininity. Her role, in a sense, is objectifying her.

So what is the “she did what” point? Even though she is a female that is objectified in a more sexual way, she does not let that stop her from doing what is right and standing up to those in power who are in the wrong. If Disney was going for a more mature and risqué character that is strong and goodhearted, they succeeded.

* All images used in this blog were taken from Google Images and all information about the movie was personal knowledge unless otherwise cited. Movie is cited below.

- Lacroix, C. (2004). Images of animated others: the orientalization of disney’s cartoon heroines from the little mermaid to the hunchback of notre dame. Popular Communication, 2(4). 213-229.

- Trousdale, G. Kirk, W. (Directors). Hahn, D. (Producer). (1996). The hunchback of notre dame [film]. Walt Disney Pictures.

#disney #film #feminism #sexulization